Some motor vehicles manufacturers offer mechanical emergency handle door releases, often in combination with electrically actuated door latch release systems, or so-called e-latch systems, which require a mechanical backup door release system for use by the vehicle occupants to allow the doors to be opened when there is no electrical power, especially in an emergency. Such mechanical emergency handle door releases, however, have generally been large, heavy, and expensive. Further, the use of a traditional style door latch handle often obviates the styling and design benefits of such e-latch systems and is not warranted given its minimal normal usage.
Further, some mechanical emergency handle door release systems employ an emergency handle located in interior locations which, given their infrequency of use, may not be readily observable or known to the vehicle occupants. This shortcoming is compounded by the fact that the use of such mechanical emergency handle door release systems may be necessary in an emergency situation, when intuitive actuation of the mechanical emergency handle door release by the vehicle occupant is necessary.
An improvement over such electronically actuated door release systems having a motor vehicle emergency handle door release was desired.